Upcycled lamp

Step by step instructions showing how to make your own upcycled decoupage mannequin lamp, presented by Upcycle

In this craft project we are going to use up some old serviettes and decoupage them onto a small mannequin a jewellery store threw away.

What you need:

Old mannequin (or something similar)

Any old serviettes you have not yet used

Modge podge

Scissors

Paintbrush

Step 1

Start by seperating the layers of tissue of your serviettes. Some serviettes are two-ply and some are three-ply. You need to seperate these layers. We will be using the top most sheet of tissue paper which normally holds the strongest colour.

Step 2

After you have seperated the ply, tear the tissue paper into small strips. If you have worked with tissue paper and modge podge before, you can make the pieces a bit bigger, but if you are just starting out, smaller is normally easier.

Step 3

Wash the mannequin, making sure there is no dust or debris on the surface.

Step 4

Paint a small area of modge podge thinly onto the mannequin, using a paintbrush.

Step 5

Stick bits of tissue paper onto the modge podge. Make sure you cover the surface and that no bits of the mannequin stick out. It's perfectly fine if your strips of tissue overlap, this will just add to the texture of your finished lamp.

Step 6

Dip your brush into some modge podge and paint this over the surface of the tissue paper. This will help it stick to the mannequin and provide a protective barrier. Try to brush it in a way that the serviette strips lie flat, you want to try and avoid getting too many creases and folds.

Step 7

If you are not used to working with modge podge and tissue paper and find that you are getting lots of holes in your finish, use a bit more podge and try not to brush over the same area too many times. Wet the brush with podge properly so that it is fully primed, this will make it slide easier.

Step 8

Keep going, covering the entire mannequin with your base colour.

Step 9

Once you have covered the entire mannequin in your base colour, hold it up to the light and look for holes or areas you may have missed, and patch these.

Step 10

Now we can look for some old serviettes with pretty designs and cut out the designs that we want to use. If the serviette with the design has a similar colour to your base colour, you don't have to cut it out perfectly, but if there is a lot of contrast between the two, it is better to cut out the design perfectly.

Step 11

Plan where your design is going to go, and then, using the same method as for your base colour, paste the design in place.

Step 12

Make sure to work very neatly as the designs will stand out and mistakes will be much more noticeable.

Step 13

Once your mannequin is complete, you can fit a bulb into the body to turn it into a lampshade. Or, for a more eco-friendly option, install LED lights along the back, or you could simply use a glue gun to glue a set of Christmas lights onto the back and light-up a dull area of a room.